Independent Albania

On November 28 Albania celebrates its Independence of 1912.

The Ottoman Empire collapsed in the first Balkan War that began in October 1912. Albania was afraid of invasion by Greece, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Spain. Ismail Kemal bey Vlora (1844-1919), also known in Albanian as Ismail Qemali- leader of the movement for free Albania -returned to Albania with Austro-Hungarian support. He together with a formed assembly declared Albanian independence in the town of Vlora on 28 November 1912.
Although the declaration had a theoretical character since Vlora was the only town in the country under the control of delegates it turned to be effective.
Albanian independence was recognised de facto on 17 December 1912 at the London Conference of Ambassadors,but it was not until 29 July 1913, after the second Balkan War and the solving of the delicate problem of Shkodra, that the international community agreed to recognise Albania as a neutral, sovereign and hereditary principality.

From that day it is a public holiday, offices, schools and companies are closed on that day in Albania.